Emergency fuel-tank sea valve



March 10, 1931. H. E. GRIESHABER 1,796,200

EMERGENCY FUEL TANK SEA VALVE Filed June 17, 1929 Patented Mar. 1.0,1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HUGO n. GRTESHABER, or NEW LONDON,CONNECTTCUT, AssrGNOR To ELECTRICv BOAT COMPANY, OF GROTON, CONNECTICUT,A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY i EMERGENCY FUEL-TANK SEA VALVE Applicationined June 17,

This invention relates to submarine boats, and more particularly tovalves used in case of emergency for blowing water or oil 'trom 4thefuel tanks.

. use the ballast tanks for water to give the boat l()V the maximumamount Of buoyancy on the surface. The oil adheres to the sides of thetank and when the tank is filled with water, which is required tosubmerge lthe vessel, the Oil leaks out past the valves provided forblowing out the compartment, if large valves are used, and causes aslick on the surface which is easily picked up bythe enemy and, for thisreason, is a source of greatdanger in time of war.

-Due to the impossibility of preventing this leakage of Oil referred to,when using large Kingston valves of present type, the present practiceis to use small valves for blowing out the fuel tanksl since the smallvalves are more easily controlled to prevent leakage of oil. The use ofsmall valves is, however, highly objectionable in some respects. In caseof rise to the objectionable slick on the surface y above referred to.One of the main objects of my invention is to provide simple and effiycient means for effectively sealing'a valve of the character referredto, so as to eliminate possibility of lleakage about the same fromwithin the tanks of the submarine boat. A

further object is to provide sealing means which can be readily appliedto a Kingston valve of known construction'Wi-thout neces- I sitatlng anychanges in construction thereof.

.-Further. objects and advantages of my in- 1929. Serial No. 371,440.

vention will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings:

' Figure 1 is a side view of a submarine boat illustratingdiagrammatically my invention as applied thereto; and

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view through the hull and valve ringand associated parts, on an enlarged scale, showing my invention asapplied, parts being shown in elevation and the Operating cylinder forthe valve being shown in section.

I have illustrated my invention as applied to a submarine boat B ofknown type provided with a plurality of ballast tanks 1 used for storingfuel. Eachv of these' tanks is provided with an Opening 3 through thehull 2 to the sea. A valve ring 4 is disposed in this opening and isprovidedy at its outer end with an outer peripheral fiange 5 suitablysecured to a base ring 6 which is suitably secured to the Outer face ofhull 2 about opening 3. Ringe is provided, in its outer end, with avalve seat 7 in which seats a Kingstonl'valve 8. This valve opens out!wardly. of hull 2 and is provided with an inwardly extending stem 9slidable through a, ffuide collar 10 supported by armsy 11 carried y.ring 4f.

Valve stem 9 extends into a cylinder 1() disposed within tank 1, througha suitable stuffing box 13. A piston 14 is suitably secured to the innerend of valve stem 9, as yby being integral therewith. and operates incylinder 12. A pressure inlet pipe 15 Opens into cylinder 12 beyond theinner side of piston 14 and is provided with a check valve 16 whichopens toward the cylinder. An out let pipe 17 opens into the cylinder 12in the plane `of piston 14: when valve 8 is closed, and is provided witha check valve 18 which opens outwardly away from the cylinder. Anexpansion coil spring 19 is confined between piston 14: and the outerhead of the cylinder, being disposed about valveV stem 9, this springacting normally to hold valve 8 seated. Compressed air may be suppliedto pipe 15 in a suitable manner, as by means of ay manifold 2Ocontrolled by a valve 21, this manifold being connected to air flasks orwhen piston 14 moves beyond pipe 17 com- Vpressed air passes throughthispipe and is discharged therefrom into the upper portion of tank 1 so asto blow the oil or water *there-v from..

The valves 8 are emergency valves and are to be used only in time ofemergency when it is necessary to blow the oil or water out of theballast tank 1. Asa general rule, when such an emergency arises, it isof vital importance that the ballast tank be emptied with the leastpossible delay. By using relatively large valves 8 the ballast tank canbe emptied quicklybut, underpresent practice, these valves are open tolobjection ofoil leakage above noted. In order to overcome thisobjection I provide asealing rdisc`24:

which extends over the outer -face of valve 8 in contact therewith, andsecure the peripheral portion ofthis disc to flange 5 of ring 4,

,by means of a Vclamping ring 25 which seats upon thev outer face of thedisc', and securing screws 26 which pass throughr ring 25 anc screw intoflange 5. Ring 25 cooperates with flange 5 to securely clamp the disc 24so as to provide a fluid tight closure aboutthe valve 8. Since this discextends outwardly beyond the valve it provides an eective seal' whichrenders impossible oil leakage-fromwithin tank 1. The disc 24 is formedof lead,"copper or any other suitable material which will Y serve toeffectively seal the valvein the inanyner stated and yetv which isadaptedvto lbe' Y' ruptured when subjected to appreciable'pressure, soas to permit of thecontents of the tank lbeing blown out through opening3.

y Referring more particularly to Figure 2, it will be notedV that theouter face of valve 8 is flat and substantially flush with the outerface of flange 5 so that the sealing disc 24 seats upon the outer faceof the valve so as to be held thereby against the external waterpressure. In the particular'embodiment of `my invention illustrated byway'of example,

the valve 8 opens outwardly and, during 'its' outward opening movementserves to rupture the disc 24: so as to remove all thereof but theyperipheral portion clamped between `ring 25 vand ange 5,7thus`vleavingan'unobstructed opening through which the'contentsof tankk 1 `canquickly be blown out.l I do not, -howf Vever, limit my invention to usewith an outwardlyV opening valve since, 'by suitable' modifications,it'can Vreadily be adaptedfor broader aspects, my invention coinprehendsa suitable sealing device used in conjunction with a Kingston valve orother valve of like nature, such sealing device being renderedineffective by opening of thevalve.

WhatI claim is:

1. In combinationina submarine boat coinprising a hull structure havingak fuel receiving tank provided with an opening through the hull to theseat, avalve controls ling said opening, anda sealing member in contactwith the outer face of the valve and providing a Huid tight closureabout the same, said member being. rupturable by pressure appliedthereto.

2. In combination in asubmarine boat comprising a hull structure Yhavinga fuel receiving tank provided with an opening through the hull to theseat, an outwardly opening valve controlling said opening, and vasealing disc extending beyond the periphery of the valve and `forming afluid tight closure about the saine, said disc contacting the outer faceof the valve aiid'being adaptJ ed to be ruptured by the valve in theoutward opening movement thereof.

8,'In combination in a submarine boat comprising a hull structure havinga yfuel receivingy tank provided with an opening. through the vhull tothe sea, a valve ring se-Y cured in' said opening, a valve seating inand normally closing'said ring, and av sealing disc having itsperipheral portion secured to the hull about the valve and forming afluid ltight sealftherefor, the disc-contacting the'y outer face of thevalve and being adapted to be readily ruptured by appreciable pressureapplied upon opening of the valve.

4f. In Vcombination inv a submarine boat comprising a hull stiucturehaving a fuel re-` ceiving tank provided with an opening through thehull tothe sea, avalve ring se/ cured in said opening, an outwardly'opening valve seating in andnormally closing said ring, and a sealingdisc having its peripheral portion secured to the hullabout the valveand forming a fluid tight seal therefor,l ythe disc contacting the outerface of the valve and being adapted to be ruptured by the valve in theoutward opening movement thereof.

5. In combination in a submarinev boat comprising a hull structurehaving a fuel re ceiviiig tank provided with an opening through the hullto the sea, a valve ring dis-I lposed in said opening and having anouter peripheral flange secured to the hull about the opening, a valveseatingV in the 'outer end 'l of the ring,`a sealing'discextending'overl the outer face of the valve in Contact therewith, andmeans cooperating with'said flange for clamping the disc about 'thevalve to provide fa fluid tight closure therefor, 'said rdisc beingadapted to be ruptured by pressure ap- `plied thereto incident toopening of the valve. "use -with valves' of various types. Inv itscomprising a hull structure having a fuel receiving tank provided withan opening through the hull to the sea, a valve ring disposed in saidopening and having an outer peripheral flange secured to the hull aboutthe opening, an outwardly opening valve seating in the outer end of thering, a sealing disc extending over the outer face of the valve incontacttherewith, and means cooperating with the flange for clamping thedisc about the valve to provide a fluid tight seal therefor, said discbeing adapted to be ruptured by the valve in the outward openingmovement thereof.

7. In combination in a submarine boat comprising a hull structure havinga fuel receiving tank provided with an opening through the hull to thesea, a valve ring disposed in said opening and having an outerperipheral flange secured to the hull about the opening, an outwardlyopening' valve seating in the outer end of the ring with its outer facesubstantially flush with the outer face of the flange, a sealing discextending over the outer face of the valve in contact therewith, andmeans securing the peripheral portion of the disc to said flange andproviding a fluid tight closure therebetween, said disc being renderedineffective by pressure applied thereto incident to opening of thevalve.

8. In combin'ation in a submarine boat comprising a hull structurehaving a fuel receiving tank provided with an opening through the hullto the sea, a valve ring disposed in said opening and having an outerperipheral flangel secured to the hull about the opening, an outwardlyopening valve seat-ing in the outer end of the ring, a sealing discextending over the outer face of the valve in contact therewith, aclamping ring seating ou the outer face of the peripheral portion of thedisc, and means for securing the clamping ring to and forcing it towardsaid flange to effect a fluid tight closure between the flange and thedisc, said disc being adapted to be ruptured by the valve during outwardopening movement thereof..

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this l() day of June1929.

HUGO E. GRIESHABER.

